Will Wildly Different NHL Playoff Races See More Western Conference Sellers?

Yanni Gourde and Barrett Hayton

Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

The NHL’s playoff race looks quite different in each conference, with just over three weeks until the trade deadline.

One conference’s race has narrowed down, while the other’s battle for the two wild-card spots has no clear picture.

That could lead to a difference in the two conferences regarding the teams that will be buyers and sellers at the March 7 trade deadline.

At the NHL’s 4 Nations Face-Off break, seven Eastern Conference teams are six points of the Detroit Red Wings, who occupy the second wild-card playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

Only the Buffalo Sabres, which are 12 points behind the Wings, are virtually out of the race in the East. And four teams – the Boston Bruins, Columbus Blue Jackets, New York Rangers and New York Islanders – are within four points of Detroit.

The Penguins did kickstart their selling by trading Marcus Pettersson to the Vancouver Canucks, but it’s uncertain whether they’ll go further and move someone like Rickard Rakell. Almost any Eastern Conference team is a hot streak away from getting their turn in a playoff spot, and the wild-card holders change game by game.

On the other hand, the Western Conference has a much smaller group of teams that are relatively close to a playoff spot.

Five teams – the San Jose Sharks, Chicago Blackhawks, Nashville Predators, Seattle Kraken and Anaheim Ducks – are at least nine points behind the Vancouver Canucks for the second wild-card spot in the West. Two more – the St. Louis Blues and Utah Hockey Club – are at least six points behind Vancouver. Only Calgary is close to Vancouver, as the Flames are three points behind the Canucks.

That could mean more Western teams want to be sellers right now.

This isn’t to say that many Eastern Conference teams won’t be sellers. Some of the top talent in trade speculation comes from the East, including Brock Nelson, Rakell, Rasmus Ristolainen and Trent Frederic. But you’d better believe Eastern GMs can be persuaded that they could squeeze into a wild-card position if they can get their act together once the 4 Nations break comes to an end.

With that said, who can we expect to be moved in the West?

Blackhawks center Ryan Donato is a possibility. San Jose Sharks defenseman Mario Ferraro has surfaced on trade boards. Then there’s Ducks goaltender John Gibson, although Anaheim will have to retain salary to make a deal for Gibson palatable.

Meanwhile, maybe Predators Ryan O’Reilly and Gustav Nyquist get moved out of Nashville in the right circumstances. Veteran forwards Yanni Gourde and Brandon Tanev could be trade candidates for Seattle.

If the Blues fade further out of playoff contention, they could become sellers, with teams being reportedly interested in captain Brayden Schenn. Utah Hockey Club center Nick Bjugstad is a pending UFA.

You can see, then, why it’s smart to keep your eyes on Western Conference teams as sellers at the deadline – or sooner than then. We all should know by now some GMs don’t want to wait until the hours before the deadline to make big moves. The easier road to roster change goes through the West.